“We spent more time this tour targeting specific individuals relating to gun violence,” said Capt. Ashley Brown, commander of the Violent Crimes Task Force. “We were successful in almost every effort.”

Operating overnight June 23-25, the task force conducted the following felony arrests:

· 4 possession of controlled substance

· 4 felony warrants

· 3 theft by receiving stolen firearm

· 2 theft by receiving stolen vehicle

· 2 probation violations

· 1 possession of marijuana with intent to distribute

Officers also issued 48 traffic citations, conducted 42 field interviews, recovered four stolen vehicles and seized 11 firearms, with four of those being reported as stolen.

In addition to SCMPD officers, several other agencies participated in the operation including: Savannah Impact Program, Chatham Counter Narcotics Team, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, probation and parole officers, and the Chatham County District Attorney’s office.

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While there is plenty of worry about how violent crime will affect tourism, the real concern is how it will affect the decision of residents whether or not to stay. The idea of leaving for a more safe locale seems almost inconceivable to those of us who’ve invested many years and whole lifetimes here. But Savannah’s just like anyplace else— people and businesses can decide it’s just not worth it anymore.

The City rightly and responsibly expects cultural organizations to diversify their funding streams and not be overly reliant on taxpayer largesse. Most administrations, however, have seen the value of the investment not only for political purposes, but also because it’s just the right thing to do.